How trust as a multi-level phenomenon influences the startup - incumbent cooperation? A qualitative study

Startups claim an eminent role as the technology progress motivators and hold a landmark position as the major source of employment in today’s economies. If we take the tremendous figures of early startup failures for granted, we witness that the prospering ones function as national innovation index development agent as well as compensator for the occupation loss left by startups failures; in such a way that they ensue in considerable job creation figures in macro arena. The other outstanding player of economy, incumbent firms contrary to being rich in resources, capabilities and assets seemingly unreachable to startups, are found vulnerable to the dynamics of markets as well as fluctuations of economies; due to structural complexity, focused decision making beside conservative approach towards markets which subsequently dwindle their willingness to reach for opportunities and emerging trends of alterations. For this reason maintaining engagements between startups and incumbents is suggested as a bilateral noble solution. Thereby startups find the complementary resources critical to enter the markets; and incumbents take advantage of startups’ agility and innovative capability besides propagating entrepreneurial spirit among their staff. Like in any B2B engagement, trust is an essential issue in startup – incumbent cooperation. Not just an easy thing either to create or preserve, trust is a complex and even an elusive phenomenon. Having reviewed the recent literature in this respect, this research presents a framework of engagements usually shaped between startups and incumbents with regard to level of trust between parties; using meta-synthesis research method.